Laced upper and method of lacing uppers.



M. E. FERNALD.

LACED UPPER AND METHOD OF LACING UPPERS.,

APPLICATION FILED AUG.2I, I915. RENEWED OCT-6.1917.

1,274,700. Patented Aug. 6, 1918.

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MARK E. FERNALD, or sauces, massacnusnr'rs, assronon r0 0. c. pnexn, mconro- RATED, or BOSTON, messacnusn'rrs, A conronn'rxon or nswyonx.

I LACED UPPER AND METHOD OF LACING UPPERS.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Aug. c, 1918.

Application 11101 August 21, 1915, Serial No. 46,734. Renewed October 6 1917. Serial No. 195,177.

SaugusQQ-in the county of Essex and State of,

Massachusetts, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Laced Uppers and Methods of Lacing Uppers, of which the following is a specification.

The present invention relates to devices for lacing together the fly of a shoe upper preparatory to placing it on the last for the lastin and other operations -in order that the edges of the fly or lacing slit shall be held at the proper distance apart and the upper properly fitted to the last during the lasting operation.

The object of the present invention is to provide a simplified and improved method of lacing uppers.

- To the accomplishment of this object and the production of a novel lacing device the features of the present invention consist in certain methods, devices, combinations and arrangements of parts fully set forth hereinafter, the advantages of which will be readily understood by those skilled in the I art. I

The various features 'of the present invention will be readily understood from an inspection of the accompanying'drawings, in which,

Figure 1 is a plan showing the sheet of fabric, the studs formed therein, and the cord inserted through the studs;

Fig. 2 is a longitudinal sectional elevation;

vention the fly of the 11 per comprises the quarters 2 separated b t e usual lacing slit 1 and having the usua lacing holes 3 (Figs. 2 and 3) therein which may be eyelets, blind v eyelets or punch-holes'in the upper.

In order to hold the edges of the fly or lacing slit at the required distance apart to insure the proper fitting of the upper to the last during the lastin operation, a sheet of fabric 4 is interpose between the tongue of the upper and the fly and a portion of the fabric adjacent each of the lacing holes is stuffed therethrough forming a series of studs 5. This method of forming the studs 5 stretches the fabric, thus drawing the edges of the fly toward each other into posit1on for the proper fitting of the upper to .the last during the lasting operation (Fig. 3)

After the studs 5 are passed through the lacing holes, a cord 6 is formed into two loops 7 and 8, and these loops are then in serted through the rows of studs 5 on both sidesof the lacing slit (Fig. 4). To remove the cord the loose ends 9 and 10 of the cord (Fig. 4) are pulled, thus withdrawing the loops 7 and 8 from the studs;

In order to obviate the use of the cord, a sharpened stick, or rod 11, of metal, or fiber, may be inserted through the studs in the manner illustrated in Fig. 5.

It will be apparent to those skilled in this art and having the general object of the present invention in view, that changes may be'made in the steps of the method and in UNITED STATES PATENT oFmcE.

the details of structure,'the described and illustrated embodiment thereof being intended as an exploitation of its underlying essentials, the features whereof are definitely stated in their true scope in the claims hereto appended.

What is claimed as new, is 2- 1. That improvement in the art of lacing uppers which consists in assemblin a sheet of fabric with the fly, forming studs in the fabric and passin them through the lacing holes, and inserting a fastening through each of the studs on the side of the fly opposite the sheet of fabric, substantially as described. p

2. That improvement in the art of lacing uppers which consists in assembling a sheet of fabric with the fly, drawing the edges of the fly together, forming studs inthe fabric and passing them through the lacing holes, and then inserting a fastening through each of the studs on the side of the fly opposite the sheet of fabric, substantially as described. 3. That improvement in the art of lacing uppers which consists in assembling a sheet. of fabric with the fly, forming studs in the fabric and passing them through the lacing holes, and inserting a fastening through the rows of studs parallel to the edge of the fly, substantially as described.

4. That improvement in the art of lacing uppers which consists in assemblin a sheet of fabric with the fly, forming. studs in the fabric and passing them through the lacing holes, forming twoloops in a cord, and inserting the loops respectively through the rows of studs parallel to-the edge of the fly, substantially as described. 5. A laced up er comprising a fly provided with paral el rows of lacing holes, a sheet of fabric ha-Vin studs formed therein and passed through t e lacing holes, and a fastening inserted through each of the studs on the side of the fly opposite-to the sheetof fabric, substantially as described.

6. A, laced upper comprising a fly provided with parallel rows of lacing holes, a sheet of fabric stretched across the fiy to draw the edges of the fly together and having studs formed therein passing through the lacing holes, and a fastening inserted through each of the studs on the side of the passed through t with parallel rows of lacing holes, a sheet of of fabric, substanfabric havin studs formed'therein passing through the acing holes, and a fastening inserted through each of the, arallel rows of studs, substantially as descn ed.

8. A laced upper comprising a fly provided with parallel rows of lacing holes, a

sheet of fabric having studs'formed therein passing through the lacing holes, and a cord having two loops therein, one of the loops being passed through the row of studs along one edge of the fly and the other loop being e row-of studs along other edge of the fly, substantially as described.

' MARK E. FERNALD.

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